The present invention relates to a fluid filtration and dispensing device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a xe2x80x9cpoint of usexe2x80x9d water filtration device that allows selection between a flow of filtered or unfiltered water.
Fluid filtration devices have been developed for applications not requiring the scale or volume of municipal or industrial filtering systems. Such devices range from those located at the xe2x80x9cpoint of usexe2x80x9d (e.g., the faucet of a kitchen sink, gravity-flow dispensers such as water pitchers, and low-pressure dispensers such as sports bottles) to generally bulkier xe2x80x9cpoint-of-entryxe2x80x9d units hidden from view and incorporated within the plumbing system of a building or facility.
Some point-of-use systems are designed for installation at the end of a conventional faucet assembly. However, these systems tend to be bulky and take up valuable space in and around the sink and faucet. Also, current faucet mounted devices are generally off-set to the side of the tap and may require a large housing to contain the filter media. In addition to consuming needed sink space, these units may not be aesthetically acceptable to consumers.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved point-of-use faucet mounted water filtration device suitable in size and scale for residential or office use. For example, an improved system is desirable that allows a user to select between filtered or unfiltered fluid and saves space when used with a conventional faucet assembly.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
An improved compact or xe2x80x9cslimxe2x80x9d profile fluid filtering device is provided by the present invention. The filtering device is particularly suited as a point-of-use filter device that is attachable to a conventional faucet for filtering water dispensed from the faucet. The filtering device thus has residential as well as industrial or commercial business applications.
In one embodiment, the filtering device includes a housing having a forward end, a rear end, a top surface, and a bottom surface. A mounting mechanism is provided on the top surface proximate to the forward end of the housing. This mounting mechanism may take on various configurations for removably attaching the filtering device to a supply source, such as a faucet or spigot. A fluid inlet is defined through the top surface of the housing, and at least one fluid outlet is defined through the bottom surface of the housing. Separate fluid outlets may be defined for filtered and unfiltered flows.
A variably positionable valve member is operationally disposed within the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlets. In one embodiment, this valve member is a ball valve seated in a corresponding concave cavity or recess defined internally in the housing. The valve member is rotatable relative to the housing between a filtered position and an unfiltered position.
At least one elongated filter is disposed generally longitudinally within a portion of the housing that extends rearward of the mounting mechanism. This filter is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The filter is preferably removable from the housing.
An actuator is provided to move the valve member between the filtered and unfiltered positions. The actuator may extend forward of the mounting mechanism at the forward end of the housing and is connected to the valve member through the housing. In one embodiment, this connection is made by axle ends connected to the valve member that extend through the housing. The actuator is connected to the axle such that movement of the actuator relative to the housing moves the valve member between the filtered and unfiltered positions. In the filtered position, the valve member directs fluid entering the fluid inlet to the filter. The fluid is conducted through the filter and then out the filtered fluid outlet. In the unfiltered position, the valve member directs fluid entering the fluid inlet directly to a fluid outlet without passing through the filter.
The device, and particularly the housing, is configured such that upon mounting the device to the end of a supply member, such as a generally horizontally disposed faucet or spigot, the portion of the housing containing the filter extends longitudinally adjacent to the supply member and rearwardly from the end of the supply member. In this manner, the filtering device does not take up or interfere with the usable space in the sink or basin and extends adjacent to and underneath of the faucet or spigot. The same concept applies if the supply member is a generally vertically disposed faucet. In this case, the housing portion containing the filter may be angled relative to the portion incorporating the mounting mechanism, or may be pivotal relative thereto, so as to extend generally adjacent to the vertically disposed faucet.
The housing may preferably include a longitudinally extending recess defined in the top surface thereof to accommodate the supply member. A portion of the underside of the faucet may extend into or xe2x80x9cnestxe2x80x9d in this recess. With this embodiment, the housing may also define longitudinally extending lobes on each side of the recess. The filter is disposed in at least one of these lobes.
It may be desired that the filtering device includes an additional filter. In the embodiment wherein the housing includes longitudinally extending lobes, this additional filter may be disposed in the other lobe. The filters may be made of different filtering media such that one of the filters removes a first contaminant or set of contaminants and the other filter removes a second type of contaminant from the fluid or water flowing through the filters.
It may be desirable that the filters are removably inserted into the housing to facilitate replacement. In one embodiment, the filters are insertable through the rear end of the of the housing. The filters may be mounted to a cap member that is attachable to the rear end of the housing. In an embodiment wherein two filters are utilized and are arranged so as to extend generally parallel and longitudinally from the cap member, a fluid conduit or passage is provided in the cap member so that the fluid may pass from one filter to the other.
The actuator may be a pivotally mounted switch or similar device and is operated by a user simply pressing on the actuator switch in a direction to move the valve body between the filtered and unfiltered positions. This switch may define a forwardmost projection of the filtering device.
It may also be desired to provide a visible indicator configured on the housing to give the user a visible indication of the depletion state of the filter. This indicator may be a mechanical type indicator that, for example, simply counts the number of actuations of the device, or may be an electronic counter volume meter, or timing indicator. A power supply, such as a battery, and circuitry for the electronic indicator may be housed in one of the side lobes of the housing.
As described in greater detail herein, the filters may be made of any manner of suitable filtering media for removing particular contaminants from the fluid or water source.